Field Dressing Birds

Proper dressing and handling of a downed bird begins before the bird ever hits the ground.  One has to be prepared for the hunt and must have a sharp hunting knife, a steel or whetstone, light rope of nylon cord, plastic bags, clean cloths and a cooler with ice.

It is important to field dress a downed bird promptly.  As soon as the bird is dead:

1.  Remove the entrails and crop as soon as possible, because the grain in the crop may ferment if not removed soon after death.  See specific directions below.

2.  The heart and liver may be saved for giblets.  Store them in a plastic bag on ice to keep them clean and cold.

3.  The birds may be plucked or skinned in the field.

4.  Cool the carcasses quickly to retain flavor and maintain the quality of the bird.

5.  Wipe out the cavity with a clean cloth or paper towel.  Do not use grass or snow, as this will contaminate the caracass.

6.  Allow air to circulate in the carcass by hanging or laying the bird in a well-ventilated place.

7.  In hot weather, place the birds individually in plastic bags and put on ice.

8.  Do not pile warm birds in a mass.

9.  Store birds in a cooler of ice out of the sun.

Once you are ready to process the bird:

a.  When preparing upland birds, skin or pluck the bird and soak in cold water for one to two hours to remove the excess blood.

b.  Birds generally do not require aging.

c.  For immediate use, birds should be stored in the refrigerator and used within 3 days.

d.  For long term storage, the whole cleaned carcass or individual parts may be frozen.  Do not freeze birds without plucking and cleaning them first.


Skinning and Gutting Birds


1.  Wash your hands with soap and clean water before you begin to field dress your pheasant. This seems obvious, but many hunters forget to do this--and pay the price later.


2.  Put on your surgical gloves. This will prevent you from touching any bacteria. It will also prevent you from passing on bacteria to your pheasants, which will shortly be your dinner.


3.  Develop the habit of cleaning your knife frequently while dressing your pheasant. It only takes a second or two to wipe your knife on a clean cloth, and it could save your kill from being spoiled.

4.  Opt to skin your pheasant to field dress it in the shortest amount of time. Cut the bird horizontally across the upper breast area. Grasp the skin and pull it off with a slow, steady motion.

5.  Choose to pluck your bird to preserve the moistness of the meat for later cooking. Begin at the tail end of the bird and pull feathers out against the grain until only the head remains feathered.


6.  Cut the bird from the base of the neck to the legs.  Be careful not to cut into the internal organs while doing so.


7.  Pull open the cavity and carefully remove the organs. Try not to rupture any organs to protect your meat.


8.  Wipe out the cavity with a clean, dry cloth.